Vicodin Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline, and Detox

It happens when you stop taking Vicodin after completing your course or as a part of detox. The level of drug in your blood falls. It causes a set of unpleasant or sometimes serious effects. These effects are the withdrawal symptoms. Vicodin withdrawal symptoms are similar to those of the other opiate drugs such as Morphine, Codeine, and Hydromorphone. Vicodin is a combination painkiller that contains an opiate, Hydrocodone and an over-the-counter drug, Acetaminophen. Available only as a prescription, it provides relief from different types of pain. They include acute and chronic pain plus moderate to severe.

Because it contains Hydrocodone, Vicodin can become addictive. Both long term and short term use can lead to dependence. However, the latter is more likely to be the cause of an addiction.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) promotes the implementation of strict guidelines for Vicodin. This is due to its widespread use and a high addiction potential. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) places hydrocodone and hydrocodone-containing drug combinations under Schedule II for controlled substances.

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Watch These Vicodin Withdrawal Symptoms and Act Fast

Initially, withdrawal symptoms mimic those of flu. This is one of the reasons why you may fail to realize you have developed dependence. Over the time, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

Anxiety and restlessness

Unstable mood

Inability to fall asleep or maintain a sleep

Sweating

Increased nasal secretion

Pain in muscle

Shakiness

Nausea and vomiting

Diarrhea

Increased drug cravings

Users may experience some of the symptoms from above within a few hours or days after stopping Vicodin. If it happens, you should talk to your doctor right away. You will need to know if they are due to drug dependence. It is always a good idea to take note of the symptoms. This is especially after you have stopped taking drugs and because of the high addiction potential. An early diagnosis and prompt treatment makes the withdrawal symptoms more manageable. Furthermore, it decreases the risk of complications and long-term addiction.

Vicodin Withdrawal Timeline: How Long Will It Last?

Vicodin withdrawal is a very subjective experience. Furthermore, how long the withdrawal lasts can be very different between people. For some, it may last just for a few days while others may experience the symptoms for weeks or even months. Therefore, it is very difficult to set the timeline for Vicodin withdrawal exactly.

One can link half-life of the drug to the appearance of withdrawal symptoms. A drug with a longer half-life leaves the bloodstream more slowly, thus delaying the withdrawal. In contrast, drugs having a short half-life leave the bloodstream early. As a result, withdrawal can occur much faster. Generally, Vicodin withdrawal symptoms begin 6 to 12 hours after the last dose.

Here is a quick view of Vicodin Withdrawal Timeline

Days

Symptoms

Severity

Remarks

Day 1

Muscle pain, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and sweating

Moderate

This phase of Vicodin withdrawal mainly consists of physiological symptoms

This is the peak and the most uncomfortable phase of the withdrawal. The strong urges to get back to the addiction can ruin all your efforts for a drug-free life

Day 6-7

Most physiological symptoms should have subsided by now. Psychological symptoms such as craving, anxiety, and depression may persist

Moderate

This phase is more troublesome to the mind than the body.

More than 7

Anxiety and mood problems may linger for the next few weeks or even a month

Moderate

These symptoms do not cause much worry as long as you maintain your normal routine and treatment guidelines

What is Vicodin Detox?

Drug detox is a short-term program which tries to remove as much drug from the bloodstream as possible. As the drug starts leaving your body, you will experience a number of undesirable symptoms. Doctors can help alleviate many of these symptoms by prescribing medications. They will act especially against the drug effects or produce similar but milder effects.

Medical Detox: Which Medications Are Used To Detox From Vicodin?

They call type of detox which uses medications to treat symptoms of withdrawal medical detox. The US FDA has approved the use of opioid antagonists such as Buprenorphine and Methadone during a Vicodin detox.

Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist unlike Hydrocodone. You can find it in Vicodin, which is a full agonist. It is less addictive and produces milder effects. It provides relief from the symptoms of Vicodin withdrawal and also reduces cravings. Methadone is a US FDA-approved opioid medication for Vicodin detox.

There is another way to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms and cravings during the detox. This is by gradually decreasing the dose of Vicodin. They call this dose tapering and it should only happen under the supervision of doctors.

Your doctor may prescribe medications like antidepressants for anxiety, and mood stabilizing agents for mood swings. This is to manage other Vicodin withdrawal symptoms.

How Long Does It Take To Detox From Vicodin?

Every case of addiction is unique. One individual’s response to the drug or its treatment may not match that of another. Therefore, it is difficult to set a time frame for the detox from Vicodin exactly. Duration of the detox will last as long the withdrawal symptoms remains with the patient.

Once the detox is over, the patient can switch to other long-term rehabilitation programs to prevent relapse.

Want To Learn More

Are you or anyone in your family is struggling with drug addiction? Do you want to know more about Vicodin Withdrawal or detox? Talk to experts near you.